Domain Name System (DNS) software solutions may function as standalone elements in a network or in combination with hosted network services and consumer applications to deliver better network resiliency and performance, improved end user security and rich navigation. In addition to enabling the Internet, a DNS software solution can make the Internet better by seamlessly reacting to an event based on a policy rule set.
A DNS serves as the phone book for the Internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. An IP address is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the IP for communication. The DNS makes it possible to assign domain names to Internet resources and devices based on their IP addresses in a meaningful way, independent of the physical location of the resources and devices. However, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) may reallocate IP addresses to allow many devices to share limited address space on a network if only some of the devices will be online at a particular time. This dynamic IP allocation complicates services provided by DNS software solutions by requiring frequent remapping of IP addresses.
Furthermore, ISPs typically do not provide a separate IP to every device within a local network. Instead, a single IP address is provided to the device serving as the network's entry point device. Such a network entry point device is commonly known as a gateway (e.g., a router). This further complicates services provided by DNS software solutions by requiring them to establish a different level of service (if at all) for various devices associated with the same IP address and/or entry point device.